


Origins

by buoyantsaturn



Series: Lovebug [7]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Origin Story, i wrote this in like 4 hours which is really impressive for me ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 20:56:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12779346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn
Summary: Will stepped into the room and walked up to Jason and Nico, the two closest to the door.“Hey, uh, I’m Will,” he said, and hesitated for a second before holding a hand out to Nico. “I’m new here. It’s nice to meet you.”Nico’s expression dropped. He was going for neutral, but probably ended up looking a lot more judgemental and mean. He glanced at Will’s hand and then back up at Will’s face before he turned and walked out of the room.or: one part origin story, one part follow up to Volpino





	Origins

**Author's Note:**

> me, every time i post something in this au: idk what else to write about for this au it must be dead  
> also me, inevitably: heres another installment of the lovebug au im lowkey dying  
> anyway here it is i hope u like it

“Nico, you’re going to be late for school!” Nico pulled his blanket up over his head to try to block out the sound of Sally’s voice, but then he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

“I’m up,” Nico called back and finally sat up. He picked his phone up off his nightstand and checked the time - thirty minutes before he needed to be at school. His phone buzzed in his hand and a new text popped up on the screen that said:  _ If you’re late on the first day, don’t expect me to save you a seat. _

Nico groaned and got out of bed, quickly getting dressed and packing up his backpack before heading downstairs for breakfast. Paul was sitting at the table reading a newspaper and scolding Percy for propping a foot up on the table to tie his shoe. Sally carried a plate of waffles - blue, of course - over to the table as Nico sat down in one of the open seats.

“Good morning, Nico,” Paul said.

“Nice of you to finally join us,” Percy joked, and Paul hit him lightly on the head with his newspaper.

“First day of the new school year,” Sally said as she sat down at the table. “Think you’re ready?”

“No,” Nico muttered at the same time that Percy exclaimed, “Senior year, hell yeah!”

“Language,” Paul said.

Percy rolled his eyes. “I’m a legal adult, I can say  _ hell.” _

“Nico,” Sally started, drawing Nico’s attention away from the argument, “you’ve lived with us for almost three years now, I just want to make sure you’re adjusting alright. I know you haven’t made a lot of friends here, but maybe this year will be different.”

“I doubt it,” Nico said, and stuffed a bite of waffle in his mouth.

“When you leave for school, head out through the candy shop,” Sally told him. “There’s a box of candy for you to share with your classmates, and maybe that will help you make some friends.”

“Okay, sure,” Nico said, and shoveled a few more bites into his mouth.

When he left, he took the box of candies from the counter of the shop and started toward the school. Normally, Nico wouldn’t pay much attention to his surroundings as he waited at crosswalks, but carrying around a box of candies prevented him from pulling his phone out of his pocket, so he stood at the corner and waited.

The street was clear, and Nico was tempted to cross, but then he saw a man in a wheelchair starting to roll across the street. Nico looked both ways before stepping off the curb, and saw a garbage truck barreling towards them. Judging by the man’s speed, he wasn’t going to be able to wheel himself across the street before the truck hit him, so Nico ran out into the street. He tossed the candy into the man’s lap and pushed the wheelchair onto the curb just as the truck shot past, horn blaring.

“Are you alright?” Nico asked the man, pulling at the straps of his backpack.

“Yes, all thanks to you,” the man responded with a kind smile. He held out the box for Nico to reclaim. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“Oh, uh,” Nico glanced up to see the walk light glowing across the street. “No, sorry, I’ve gotta get to class.” He offered the man a two-fingered salute before running across the street.

 

* * *

 

Nico sat on the lounge chair on the roof with a tiny, hexagon-shaped box that fit in the palm of his hand.

“Have you talked to Will about this?” Tikki asked from where she sat on the lid of the box. 

“He won’t understand,” Nico whispered. “I can’t do it anymore, Tikki, I’m sorry.”

“Nico, this is too big of a decision for you to make on your own,” Tikki insisted. “Please, reconsider!”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, and set the box down in his lap. He squeezed his eyes shut, doing his best to ignore Tikki’s frantic voice as he reached up and pulled his earrings out, one at a time, and set them inside the box. When he opened his eyes again, Tikki was gone and the only sounds around him were the passing cars on the street below.

He drew his knees in close to his chest and cried.

 

* * *

 

Will had snuck out the back door of the house and ran at top speed until he was a block from the school. He finally allowed himself to breathe when he saw the crowds of students filing in through the front door. As he walked forward, he heard the sound of coins rattling against each other, and he turned to see a man in a wheelchair shaking a cup at passersby.

Will stepped toward the man and started digging through his backpack. “Are you hungry?” Will asked, and pulled out a brown paper bag. “Here, take my lunch, I insist.”

“Thank you,” the man responded. “How can I repay you?” He held out his cup of coins, but Will shook his head.

“No, keep your money,” Will said. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a familiar silver car pulling up in front of the school. “Uh, have a good day!” he told the man hurriedly, and then ran into the school.

Nico wandered up the stairs to his first period class where Jason was leaning against one of the desks and ignoring the other students in the room. When Nico walked in, he set the box of candy on the desk next to Jason.

“Did you hear who’s going to be in our class starting today?” he heard Drew say from across the room.  _ “Will Solace. _ You know, Naomi Solace’s son? He’ll be here any minute, and soon enough he’s going to fall in love with me, and then we’re going to be the greatest power couple this school has ever seen.”

“Did she say  _ Will Solace?” _ Nico asked. “Actual Will Solace? Is coming  _ here?” _

“Don’t make it weird, dude,” Jason warned him. “You’re the one that didn’t want everyone to know that you’re super gay.”

“But he’s--” Nico froze, eyes widening, “Here!”

Jason turned to see the freckled boy standing in the doorway, looking mostly uncomfortable. Will stepped into the room and walked up to Jason and Nico, the two closest to the door.

“Hey, uh, I’m Will,” he said, and hesitated for a second before holding a hand out to Nico. “I’m new here. It’s nice to meet you.”

Nico’s expression dropped. He was going for neutral, but probably ended up looking a lot more judgemental and mean. He glanced at Will’s hand and then back up at Will’s face before he turned and walked out of the room.

Will spun around and watched Nico leave the room before turning to Jason with a look of confusion mixed with a little bit of disappointment. 

Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m Jason, that was Nico. Sorry about him, he’s not good at talking to people.” He picked up the box sitting next to him and held it out to Will. “Want a piece of candy?”

 

* * *

 

Nico sat at his desk with his head resting on folded arms. He could hear the teacher lecturing, but paid more attention to the whispering happening behind him. 

“He renounced his Miraculous last night,” Will said to Jason and Piper, and Nico couldn’t understand how the teacher hadn’t caught him yet.

“No way,” Jason whispered at the same time that Piper said, “Oh my god.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Nico hissed, head snapping to the side. 

“You should’ve talked to us about it,” Jason told him. “We could’ve helped.”

“No, you couldn’t,” Nico said, louder than before. “And there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

 

* * *

 

At the end of the school day, Jason followed Nico home with the expectation that they would hang out and play video games or something. However, as soon as they got up to Nico’s room, Nico started running frantically around the room, tearing things off the wall.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Jason asked.

“What if he has to come over here at some point?” Nico asked. He ripped a few pictures off the wall and tossed them in a cardboard box. “He can’t see this! How am I supposed to act  _ normal _ around him? How am I supposed to pretend that I  _ don’t _ have a giant crush on him when he sits  _ directly behind me?  _ Which, thanks for that, by the way. Was there not any other open seats in the room?”

“What are you talking about?” Jason questioned.

“Will!” Nico cried. “Will Solace! I’m going to have to see him in person  _ every day, _ how am I supposed to hide my giant ass crush? What if he turns out to be a huge jerk? What if Drew was right and he  _ does  _ fall in love with her?”

Nico dropped the box in the middle of the room, then sat down at his desk and turned on his laptop. Jason watched as he deleted an entire folder of pictures, and changed his desktop picture to one of the computer’s sample images.

“First of all, why do you have all of these pictures in the first place?” Jason started. “Second, your desktop,  _ really? _ And third, why are you getting rid of all of these?”

Nico jumped out of his chair, scooped up the box, and climbed the ladder that led to the roof. “I have to hide the evidence!”

Jason rolled his eyes and followed Nico up to the roof where he set the box of pictures on fire. “Don’t you think this is a little excessive?”

“I gotta get over him,” Nico told him, “as fast as I possibly can. This is step one.”

“You’re insane.”

 

Jason left not long after, and Nico returned to his room to get a start on the homework he’d been assigned that day. He dumped the contents of his backpack out on his desk, a tiny, hexagon-shaped box landing on the top of the pile. 

“What the hell?” he muttered to himself, and flipped open the lid of the box. Inside were two black stud earrings, and nothing else. 

He opened up the webcam on his laptop to use as a mirror so that he could put the studs in his ears - he’d gotten them pierced at the height of his emo phase a few years back. The earrings were a strange thing to find in the bottom of his backpack, but he guessed that it must’ve been a sign of some kind - a sing to wear earrings again, or something.

Nico went back to sorting through the contents of his bag, when a giant red bug flew in front of his face.

“Holy  _ shit!” _ Nico shouted, and jumped back from his desk. He grabbed one of his folders and started swatting at the bug, though none of his hits landed.

“Stop!” a shrill voice cried, and Nico froze. He spun around, but there was no one else in the room with him. “That was me!”

Nico turned once more and suddenly, the bug was right in his face. 

“Hello!” the bug exclaimed. “My name is Tikki!”

 

As soon as Will stepped inside his house, he was scolded by his mother’s personal assistant. He made it past the foyer and halfway up the stairs before his bodyguard caught him and shouted at him for sneaking out. He was almost inside his bedroom, thinking that he was finally safe, when his mother came down the hall.

“William,” Naomi called, and Will froze. “Stephanie told me that you snuck out today and missed all of your lessons. You can’t wander around without your bodyguard, Will, it’s not safe.”

Naomi stepped up to him and held Will’s face between her hands. He was a good head taller than her, so Naomi had to tug Will’s head down to press her forehead to his. 

“I’m only trying to look out for you, Sweetheart,” Naomi told him. 

“I’m fine,” Will said. “Nothing bad happened to me. I went to real school and I talked to people my own age, and I maybe even made a few  _ friends.” _

“William, we’ve talked about this,” his mother said. “You don’t go to school with everyone else. Stephanie will teach you here, and your private tutors will come to teach you anything else you’d like to learn. And you  _ never _ go out without your bodyguard. Do you understand me?”

“I just wanna go to school like everyone else,” Will whispered.

“Do you understand me?” Naomi repeated, hands tightening around Will’s head.

“Yes, Mama,” Will said, defeated. “I understand.”

She pressed a kiss to Will’s forehead before she finally released him, and Will ducked away into his room.

He dropped his backpack onto his bed and slowly pulled everything out. He set aside the textbook he’d been assigned, which he would have to return to the school somehow. He pulled out the folders and papers that he would no longer need, and piled them up to throw away later. He slipped his hand into the bag one last time to make sure he didn’t miss anything, and his fingers closed around a small, oddly-shaped box. 

Will pulled out the box and opened it up to see an intricately designed silver ring resting inside. His first thought was that his mother had remembered his birthday about two weeks late, and this was his somewhat-strange gift. He slipped the ring on his finger, and the silver momentarily glowed green. Something like a tiny black cat was suddenly floating in front of Will’s face. 

“This is definitely not from mom,” Will muttered.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Plagg, we gotta talk,” Will said once he knew he was alone in his room. 

“Can I get a snack first?” the Kwami asked as he floated lazily out of Will’s backpack.

Will reached into his mini fridge and pulled out a can of pop for himself as well as a tiny wheel of cheese for Plagg.

“Nico took out his earrings,” Will said, getting right to the point. “He won’t even talk to any of us about it, and there’s no Tikki around to talk some sense into him.”

“You’re the boyfriend, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be able to talk to him?” Plagg asked. “At least, that’s been my understanding of human interaction.”

“He’s not listening,” Will explained. “But I don’t know how to fix this. It’s not like you and I can handle the akumas by ourselves, we  _ need _ Ladybug.”

“You can’t force him to reclaim the Miraculous,” Plagg said. “It has to be his choice. Talk to him about it, give him options. That’s all you can do.”

“Wow, Plagg, that was...probably the best advice you’ve ever given me.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

 

* * *

 

Chat Noir was  _ ecstatic  _ to be out of the house. He jumped around from one rooftop to another, awed by the sight of the city below him. He stumbled across a boy in a red spandex suit who very well might have fallen off the side of a building if Chat hadn’t caught him in time. 

“Hey there, Darling,” Chat said with an arm still wrapped around the other boy’s waist. “You should be careful so close to the edge.”

“I can handle myself,” the boy said, eyebrows furrowing under his black-spotted mask. Chat could see himself getting lost in those beautiful dark eyes. “Who are you?”

“I’m Chat Noir,” he said with a wide grin, “the new superhero the city deserves! And you are?”

“I, uh,” the boy hesitated. “Ladybug.”

“Ladybug, huh?” Chat said, testing out the name for himself. “Yeah, I can work with that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ladybug asked, finally pushing Chat away and putting some distance between them.

“Well, I hear we’re a team, right? Crime fighting partners, or something?” Chat extended his metal staff to lean against it, propping his chin up on his hand. “I’m a pretty big nickname person, so I hope you’re up for that. Sound good, Wonderbug?”

Ladybug scrunched up his nose at the name. “It’ll need some work.”

“Good thing we’ll be spending plenty of time together then, huh?”

Ladybug rolled his eyes. “Can’t wait,” he said sarcastically, but shot Chat Noir a grin to let him know he was kidding.

“Oh, Bugaboo,” Chat sang. “I have a feeling this’ll be a match made in heaven.”

 

* * *

 

They sat on Nico’s bed, Will up against the headboard with Nico’s back against his chest. Will’s arms were wound around Nico’s waist, holding the earring box in front of him, though Nico refused to reach for it.

“I know you think I don’t understand, but I do,” Will told him gently. “You’re scared of everyone finding out, and so am I. I’m not gonna let that happen, okay? I promise you.” He ducked his head and pressed his lips to Nico’s shoulder through the fabric of his t-shirt. “Please, put the earrings in. Talk to Tikki. You don’t have to transform, we don’t have to go outside, just...put the earrings in. Okay?”

Nico hesitated, and Will thought he might have to start from scratch, but then Nico nodded. “Okay,” Nico whispered.

“Thank you,” Will said, and pressed a kiss to Nico’s cheek. He flipped open the box and pulled out one of the earrings, carefully placing it in Nico’s ear as Nico did the same with the other.

Tikki appeared in a flash of pink light, and Nico held her close to his chest as he apologized profusely. 

“Tikki,” Will said, voice still soft but loud enough to gather both her and Nico’s attention. “What do we do now?”

“I think I know,” Nico replied. “Can you text Piper? And Jason?”

“Yeah, of course,” Will said. “What should I say?”

“Tell them to come over.”

 

“You want this on the LadyBlog?” Piper asked, sounding incredibly unsure.

“We’re not livestreaming,” Nico told her. “This is going to be filmed and then edited later, but. Yeah. It’ll be the easiest way to get the message out.”

“I don’t know that this is the best plan,” Jason said. “Aren’t you trying to keep Ladybug and Chat Noir out of the public eye?”

“That’s why we’re making a video instead of going to a news station,” Will explained. “If we do it right, nobody will be able to know where it was filmed, and Piper can say that the video was given to her anonymously. It’s the only way to do it.”

“We’re not livestreaming it in case one of us accidentally says something that could hint at either our location or our identities,” Nico said. “Anything that we don’t want in the video can be edited out before we post it.”

“Alright, I got it,” Piper said. “Where are we gonna film it?”

“The roof,” Jason suggested. “With the right angles, it’ll be indistinguishable from any other rooftop in the city.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Nico agreed. “So, what do you think? Are you up for it?”

“A scoop like this for the LadyBlog?” Piper asked. “Hell yeah, I’m up for it. You guys transform, Jason and I can wait up on the roof and set up the shot.” She grabbed Jason’s hand and pulled him toward the ladder leading to the trapdoor in the ceiling.

“What about you?” Will asked carefully, stepping up to Nico and resting his hands on Nico’s waist. “Are  _ you _ ready?”

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Nico answered. “Thank you, Will. For helping me get back to normal.”

“Thank me when we’re no longer wanted for murder, okay?” He leaned down and pressed his lips to Nico’s before pulling away.

 

* * *

 

Will was delaying leaving the school, wanting to hold onto this feeling of freedom for as long as possible. Almost everyone else had left the building, so Will figured he’d left his bodyguard waiting long enough, headed toward the front door. He paused when he saw one of this classmates standing by the door, staring out at the rain.

Will walked forward, pulling his umbrella from his backpack, and hesitated before he stepped outside.

“I’ve never really had the chance to make my own friends,” Will said, surprising even himself. “I don’t know if I did something to make you dislike me, or if you think I’m some kind of stereotypical rich kid, but I hope I can change your opinion of me somehow.”

He eyed the car waiting for him on the street, then his gaze dropped to the umbrella in his hand. He held it out to Nico. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Will waited until Nico took the umbrella from his hand before he finally stepped outside and got in the car.

 

* * *

 

“Chat Noir and I have asked that this video be uploaded to the LadyBlog in the hope that it will help to clear our names,” Ladybug explained. 

“We have reason to believe that Ethan Nakamura had been akumatized when he threatened to reveal Ladybug’s identity,” said Chat Noir. “The altercation on the roof, despite how things may have seemed, was the result of Ladybug and myself trying to de-escalate the situation.”

“I did not throw Ethan off the roof of that building,” Ladybug stated firmly. “We were very close to the edge, and Ethan threatened my life, so I grabbed him. He forced himself out of my grip and fell off the roof. I tried to catch him, but wasn’t fast enough.”

“Ethan’s body was never found,” Chat reminded their audience. “No one has claimed to even see his body hit the ground. From directly above, Ladybug and I believe that we saw Ethan’s body disappear in a cloud of smoke, at least twenty feet off the ground.”

“We believe that the powers given to Ethan by his akuma were the ability to create illusions,” Ladybug continued. “This would mean that the Ethan seen with us on the rooftop was an illusion, and that the _real,_ _akumatized_ Ethan is still on the loose.”

“We want everyone to know that we are not responsible for the death of Ethan Nakamura because he isn’t dead, though we will not be returning to the public eye until the police have called off the search for us. Once we have been cleared, we will track down Ethan and purify him of his current akumatized state.”

 

* * *

 

“How brave of them to show their faces in public once again,” Papillion laughed. “Oh, Ladybug and Chat Noir. You won’t elude my grasp much longer. Soon, I will have your Miraculous, and then there will be no escape from my power.”

**Author's Note:**

> i hope that wasn't super confusing i wrote it all very quick and tbh im not really sure what happened  
> thanks for reading!!!


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